Until the 1800's, many Northern California coastal valleys were covered with coast redwood trees. The forests of Muir Woods were spared from logging, because they were hard to get to. Noting that Redwood Creek contained some of the last uncut stands of old-growth redwoods, William and Elizabeth Kent bought 295 acres of this forest and donated it to the government for protection. In 1908, President Roosevelt declared Muir Woods a National Monument and, at the Kent’s request, named it after conservationist John Muir.

Today, Muir Woods is the only old-growth coastal redwood forest in the San Francisco Bay area and one of the last on the planet. The trees that grow under these giants are called understory plants and they must adjust to the low light conditions in order to survive. Some trees adapt by growing big leaves to try to catch the sunlight, while others bend and twist towards any available light source.